According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 7% of women self-reported using prescription opioids during pregnancy and more alarmingly, one in five of those women said they got the opioids from a source other than their doctor or were taking them for a reason other than pain management. With rising rates of infants born with neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS), the impacts on both women and their babies is concerning. Read More

Figuring out what to do with unused or expired medication can be a challenge. Yet, keeping it at home can be dangerous to young children and other family members. Data from the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) showed that more than 5,700 youth “reported using prescription pain relievers without a doctor’s guidance for the first time.” This past month, the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) held its 19th National Take Back Day to encourage the safe and anonymous drop off and disposal of unused prescription medications.  Read More

By Chris Mills Rodrigo

Some of Silicon Valley’s biggest companies are teaming up with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for Saturday’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.

Facebook, Google and Twitter will work with the Center for Safe Internet Pharmacies (CSIP) to help participants locate drop-off locations for any prescription drugs they have at home.

The national campaign has seen results before, with the DEA reporting that it collected more than 880,000 pounds of prescription drugs and vape devices last fall. Read More